The government of Nova Scotia has chosen six public buildings to switch from fossil fuel heating systems to wood chip heating systems.
According to a government press release, “a tender has been issued to five pre-qualified vendors for the design, construction and operation of biomass boilers that use wood chips from private woodlots.”
The tender closes on March 5, and the biomass boilers should be operating by the end of November 2020.
The public buildings include: Hants East Rural High School, Milford; Hants Co. Perennia Park Atlantic Centre for Agri-Innovation; Bible Hill Bridgewater Provincial Court; Bridgewater Centre of Geographic Sciences, Laurencetown; Annapolis Co. Memorial High School; and Sydney Mines Riverview High School, Sydney.
A team of 11 provincial departments and public sector agencies chose the sites, which are part of the first phase of a long-term effort to develop a new market for wood heating and, later, district heat. The team determined these sites have a high chance of success based on geotechnical and environmental readiness evaluations.
“This initiative will help develop new, long-term markets for lower grade wood by replacing imported oil with locally-sourced wood chips,” said Nova Scotia forestry minister Iain Rankin in a statement. “Creating a new market for lower grade wood will improve the economics of sustainable forest management, leading to healthier forests and a stable market for woodlot owners.”
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